Microlearning courses are becoming more popular around the world, and it’s easy to see why. Training sessions which last just a few minutes are proven to enhance learner engagement, improve knowledge retention, increase efficiency and more.
The benefits of microlearning are hard for educators to ignore. However, understanding what microlearning is and implementing it within your business or VET programme are two different matters.
Here are 20 microlearning examples that may inspire you to integrate microlearning content into your training materials.
Microlearning Examples in Business
Microlearning is a great solution for businesses that want to implement on-the-job training or want to quickly bring their workforce up to speed. These examples of microlearning for businesses show how you can effectively incorporate fast learning into your corporate training programmes.
1. Product Spotlight Snapshots
Short videos that highlight key features of new and existing products can have multiple uses throughout a company. You can train your Sales team on products they should be focusing on in coming months. Snapshots can help you showcase features to customers directly, improving upselling. You can also use product snapshots to introduce new team members to your business offerings.
Best used for: Sales training, customer training and onboarding
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Serves multiple purposes within an organisation
- Quick to create with minimal effort
- Meaningful information delivered in a memorable way
2. 15-Second Sales Pitch Challenges
Challenge your Sales team to come up with 15-second elevator pitches for specific products or services. You can even take the challenge a step further by opening the responses up to voting and having an award for the best sales pitch. This will encourage engagement and the sharing of feedback.
Best used for: Sales techniques and strategies
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Quick to create with minimal effort
- Interactive and highly engaging
- Practical skill development
3. Customer Service Role-Play Quizzes
Put together practice scenarios with set responses that teams can choose between in a quiz-style format. While customer service isn’t always black and white, if your teams understand why certain responses work well, they’ll provide better customer service in the long run. And if you’re looking for other ways to improve your teams’ customer service, you may want to look at these 10 free customer service courses.
Best used for: Communication skills
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Interactive and highly engaging
- Provides instant feedback
- Accessible on any device at any time accommodating learning at own pace
4. Compliance Flashcards
Simplify compliance by making digital flashcards with facts that cover key policies or regulations. Including memorable phrasing or real-world examples will help to get the message across and improve your teams’ knowledge retention. You may also want to consider this free course on compliance regulations and standards.
Best used for: Compliance training
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Quick to create with minimal effort
- Accessible on any device at any time accommodating learning at own pace
- Meaningful information delivered in a memorable way
5. Icebreaker Mini-Videos
Having new employees introduce themselves in person or during meetings can be time-consuming. However, you still want to encourage an inclusive and diverse workspace. Having new hires introduce themselves in a 30-second video helps employees to learn about their colleagues in their own time. This kind of microlearning may not form part of training, per se, but it will go a long way towards growing your company culture.
Best used for: Onboarding, company culture, diversity and inclusion
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Quick to create with minimal effort from organisers and learners
- Practical soft skill development
- Enhances company culture
- Helps employees to engage with each other and their work
6. Email Communication Microlearning Course
Email communication doesn’t come naturally to everyone. By creating a short course of 3-minute lessons you can help your teams further their communication skills and reduce the risk of email burnout. Topics could include:
- Crafting concise emails,
- Appropriate tone and language for work emails, and
- How to manage different time zones.
Best used for: Communication skills
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Serves multiple purposes within an organisation
- Enhances knowledge recall and memory retention
- Ties in well with other microlearning techniques
7. Phishing Awareness Simulations
Phishing is one of the most prolific attack types in this modern age, and no one is immune. By creating simulations that act as phishing emails, you can easily gauge your employees’ recognition and response to attacks. From there, you can tailor your cybersecurity training, ensuring that your teams better understand how to avoid real phishing attacks in future.
Best used for: Cybersecurity awareness
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Responding to real-world scenarios
- Identifies knowledge gaps and areas for improvement
- An area that can have a big impact on operations
8. Leadership Skill Reflections Podcast
Put together a five-minute podcast where leaders reflect on specific scenarios. Having insight into leaders’ decision-making processes can motivate and inspire your teams, and give them a thorough understanding of their own roles. If you’re looking for other ways to enhance leadership in your business, these leadership and soft skills courses could help.
Best used for: Change management and leadership development
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Accessible on any device at any time accommodating learning at own pace
- Meaningful information delivered in a memorable way
- Act as case studies for decision-making
9. Problem-Solving Brain Teaser Challenges
Send through a new brain teaser each week, and encourage your teams to take part by offering prizes for the quickest solution, as well as for the most unique solution. This will enhance your teams’ analytical skills and put their knowledge to the test in different ways. It will boost skill development and can also help you to identify workplace skill gaps.
Best used for: Problem-solving skills and on-the-job training
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Quick to create with minimal effort
- Interactive and highly engaging
- Enhances knowledge recall and memory retention
10. Emergency Response Scenario Simulations
You may have protocols and guidelines in place telling your teams how to react to emergencies. You might have even plastered posters up around the office to make it clear how they should react if an emergency arises. However, conducting regular real-world emergency simulations can ensure that your teams have a thorough understanding of what actions they need to take. It will also make for more memorable training than a poster or step-by-step guide would.
Best used for: Health and safety training
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Enhances knowledge recall and memory retention
- Identifies knowledge gaps and areas for improvement
- Interactive and highly engaging
Microlearning Examples in Vocational Education and Training
It’s not only businesses that benefit from microlearning. VET providers also find that focusing on complex concepts for just a few minutes at a time helps learners to better understand and remember them. Here are just a few microlearning examples that can easily be integrated into the learning process.
11. Safety Checklists
Creating simple, interactive checklists which can be accessed on phones, tablets, laptops or computers will help students to internalise safety processes. Incorporating other microlearning examples like videos and gamification will make the training even more memorable and ensure that learners put safety first.
Best used for: Safety training
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Interactive and highly engaging
- Enhances knowledge recall and memory retention
- Accessible on any device at any time accommodating learning at own pace
12. Techniques Mini-Tutorials
Short, instructional videos that showcase how specific techniques work perform well in microlearning courses. You can highlight key steps, demonstrate safety protocols, and showcase common mistakes and how to avoid them. Tying these tutorials in with other microlearning materials like infographics and step-by-step guides will reinforce knowledge even further.
Best used for: Technical skills training
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Accessible on any device at any time accommodating learning at own pace
- Meaningful information delivered in a memorable way
- Ties in well with other microlearning modules
13. Compliance Scenarios
By simulating real-world scenarios, you can test students’ understanding of regulations. You can also see first-hand how they react to breaches in confidentiality or administrative errors. Instant feedback will help you to gain detailed information on students’ knowledge gaps, while they gain insight into why certain choices are less effective than others.
Best used for: Compliance and regulation training, Service training
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Responding to real-world scenarios
- Interactive and highly engaging
- Instant feedback
- Enhances knowledge recall and memory retention
14. Practical Simulations
Practical simulations provide real-world experience without lasting negative consequences.They are also less theoretical than many other microlearning examples. They involve taking the steps that you would in a real-world scenario. The only difference is that if something does go wrong, the negative impact is short-lived and doesn’t impact other systems and processes. It does, however, make a lasting impression on students, ensuring that the mistakes aren’t repeated in future.
Best used for: Technical skills training, Upskilling
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Responding to real-world scenarios
- Interactive and highly engaging
- Practical skill development
- Provides instant feedback
- Enhances knowledge recall and memory retention
15. Role-Playing
Role playing is a great microlearning training technique for developing communication skills. Especially useful in client-facing fields and leadership roles, being able to role-play through particular scenarios can prepare students well for dealing with both customers and colleagues. Great examples include simulating interactions in hospital settings, hotels, restaurants, and handling general customer or staff complaints.
Best used for: Soft skill development
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Responding to real-world scenarios
- Interactive and highly engaging
- Practical skill development
- Provides instant feedback
- Enhances knowledge recall and memory retention
16. Quick Guides
While quick guides don’t provide the detailed information required during initial training, they can be particularly useful for knowledge reinforcement. By developing quick guides for critical techniques and processes, you can make it easier for students to recheck their work or revise their understanding of specific topics.
Best used for: Knowledge reinforcement
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Meaningful information delivered in a memorable way
- Accessible on any device at any time accommodating learning at own pace
- Enhances knowledge recall and memory retention
17. Machinery and Software Operation Tutorials
There’s a big difference between using technology and making the most of it. Short videos tutorials can help students understand both the basics of technology, and provide tips for using them to the best of their ability. This could include demonstrating the operation and maintenance of complex machinery and equipment, but it could also include tips for software learners will use on a daily basis.
Best used for: Software and technology training
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Meaningful information delivered in a memorable way
- Accessible on any device at any time accommodating learning at own pace
- Prepares learners for real-world scenarios
18. Diagnostic Challenges
Test your students’ problem-solving abilities by providing real-world challenges and asking them to solve them. You can even take the microlearning strategy a step further by adding other gamification elements like leaderboards and prizes for the quickest solve, or the most well-thought-out solution. This type of interactive microlearning is particularly memorable because you aren’t directly providing solutions, but encouraging students to find their own fixes.
Best used for: Technical skills training, Professional development
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Responding to real-world scenarios
- Practical skill development
- Interactive and highly engaging
- Identifies knowledge gaps and areas for improvement
19. Design Challenges
Design challenges present large-scale problems and ask learners to use creativity to find innovative solutions to them. Unlike diagnostic challenges, which involve very specific problems that need to be fixed, design challenges are open-ended. There is no right answer and solutions that students provide are likely to differ greatly. The only limit to the challenge is a learner’s creativity in problem solving. This provides educators with an in-depth look at learners’ understanding of concepts and how they can be put to practical use.
Best used for: Skill development, Professional development, Continuing education and upskilling
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Responding to real-world scenarios
- Practical skill development
- Interactive and highly engaging
- Identifies knowledge gaps and areas for improvement
20. Quick Fire Troubleshooting
Learning solutions to common problems will prepare students for working effectively and efficiently. Quick fire troubleshooting involves presenting common scenarios that need to be solved in a short amount of time. This form of microlearning will both reinforce existing skills and knowledge and prepare learners for stressful situations that they may encounter.
Best used for: Product knowledge and service training
What makes it a good microlearning example:
- Responding to real-world scenarios
- Practical skill development
- Interactive and highly engaging
- Identifies knowledge gaps and areas for improvement
How Can You Implement Microlearning Examples?
These examples of microlearning aren’t one-size-fits-all. Finding the best way to implement microlearning into your student or employee training will involve a good deal of trial and error. The results, however, are well worth the effort.
Take the time to carefully consider which ares of microlearning will be best suited for effective training. From there, find the types of microlearning that will keep learners engaged, while still teaching them the key skills that they need. And don’t forget to use all of the tools available to you to prioritise creating learning materials quickly and efficiently, including using bespoke Microlearning Apps. This is an area where artificial intelligence in training shouldn’t be underestimated.
Finally, finding the best digital learning platform will be a big asset, no matter which training method you follow. Cloud Assess, for example, is an all-in-one solution which acts as an LMS, course management system and talent management system. This makes it easy to effectively create, manage and distribute training from one platform. You can experience Cloud Assess with a Explore Pricing or by enrolling in one of the many free courses that we have available.
